From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishstalking horseˈstalking ˌhorse noun [countable] PPVsomeone or something that hides someone’s true purpose, especially a politician who says they want their leader’s job when the real plan is that another, more important politician should get it
Examples from the Corpus
stalking horse• It never bodes good when she looks like that; she's using the girl as a stalking horse.• He was too innocent to be a stalking horse.• So, too, was the presence of a serious challenger rather than another stalking horse.• London has been seen as Washington's stalking horse. 